Outlook: The Patriots seek to improve off last year's finish, and will look towards Thompson to pick up the scoring load left by two key losses in his older brother Bleriot and Trent Barneys. Two younger Barneys brothers, Chase and Bryce, are on the roster. Chiera has also inherited three transfers - Caver (Far Rockaway), Haines (Roselle), and Dawkins (Bound Brook) as the trio should add to the depth of the team.

Outlook: Despite the loss of seven letterwinners, including first-team all-area forward Rob Ukawuba from last year's Red Division and Central Group IV championship team, the Bears still figure to be one of the prominent teams in the county and it all starts with Bell at point guard. After averaging 10 points and five assists per game last season, Bell, who is committed to Princeton, will be leaned on even heavier this season. He'll be surrounded in the starting lineup by returnees Baumer, who drained 90 3-pointers last season, and Taylor, who came off the bench last season. Rounding out the starting five for the Bears figures to be Donahue and Fitzgerald, as the pair will be counted on in the frontcourt.

Outlook: With only three players returning, Drew, a four-year starter, will be counted on heavily to lead the Knights as Adeleye is the only other starter back. Figueroa is another senior who will see major minutes, as Macomber expects to have four sophomores see significant minutes. Height is an issue for the Knights, as they don't have a player on the roster over 6-2. Macomber expects to play a rotation nine guys deep and said the Knights need to learn to be more consistent, as they're had their share of struggles through the preseason.

Outlook: In his six years at Perth Amboy, Santana says this is the biggest and most athletic team he's had and is optimistic the Panthers will be improved from a year ago. Irizzary is a three-year starter at the point while Enriquez is a leader on the floor. The Panthers will look to take advantage of their athleticism, with several guards that can get out in transition and run and shoot. They also possess several long and versatile big men, as Santana can go up to 10 players deep. Malaze, a freshman who will see minutes off the bench, is the younger brother of former Panthers guard JD Rodriguez, who transferred to Bound Brook and is now playing at Georgian Court.

Outlook: Allen, a veteran disciple of Linden coach Phil Colicchio, begins his second season molding his imprint on the Chiefs. He'll rely heavily on a trio of senior starters in Tavernier, Simou, and Murray-Tucker. Hines is a fourth senior starter while Lucky, a transfer from Plainfield, will man the point as Allen says he is what he's been looking for in a point guard. Two other transfers in Avent (Immaculata), who is currently injured, and Cunningham (Linden) should make an impact at some point, though Allen said it is going to take time to get them blended in. One strength for the Chiefs, Allen noted, is their size across the board as nine players on the roster are at least 6-2.

Outlook: The Falcons look to return to the TOC and win their fifth consecutive GMC title, and return a few big pieces. The "big three" of Towns, Baldwin, and Townes are all back. The Falcons look to replace the leadership of Jimbo Long and James Ziemba, two key pieces that understood their supporting roles. Turco has assembled a very difficult out of conference schedule and notes they're still looking to find guys that are willing to sacrifice some of their own for the team's good. Owen, a Canisisus commit, and Tyree, a Rutgers Prep transfer will both play important roles. Ashamole is a supporting big guy to log some minutes, along with Cintron, who got injured the first day of practice and is slowly working back.

Outlook: The Vikings will look to reload this season after graduating nine players, including their entire starting lineup from last year's team. Lumpkin and Engel, the only two returning players, will look to lead a solid group moving up from the junior varsity ranks along with Saldiveri, a transfer from Sayreville who should help. The Vikings don't boast a ton of size down low, but half decent size across the board. The key Hoehman believes is if they can find a way to rebound and get out in transition, the Vikings could be dangerous come playoff time but there may be growing pains early with such little experience.

Outlook: The Eagles lost three starters to graduation, but boast several key additions that should enhance the roster. Brown, O'Leary, and Carty are a trio of freshmen Griffin expects to start right away. Griffin is especially high on Brown, who he says is an all-around athlete, will take over the point guard duties immediately, and is well-suited for the conference. His presence will allow Lewis to move over his natural off-guard position. Harris, the Eagles' leading returning scorer and rebounder, has dramtically improved his game according to Griffin and is looking to be a 20/10 guy. Roache is a transfer from St. Joseph and brings and athletic presence while Garcia is a versatile player with experience.

Outlook: The Eagles are optimistic about the upcoming season with a senior-laden team, as all five starters are seniors - White, Ross, and Amuzu in the backcourt with Westbrooks and Johnson up front. They possess a good deal of quickness and athleticism, and will look to use that to their advantage. Williams-Powell is a transfer into the program, as the Eagles possess a decent amount of size across the board and look to improve upon their record from last season.

Outlook: The Hawks will be continuing their rebuilding process coming off a four-win season. Ballou and Dervishaj, a transfer in, will compose the Hawks starting frontcourt as rebounding should be a strength for the Hawks this season. Dooley is another starter on the wing while Singh and Garg round out the projected starting five, as the Hawks guard play is inexperienced and may be a weakness initially. One potential sparkplug could be Chukwuneke, who doubles as star on the football field.

Outlook: The Falcons enter the season with a group that's been together for many years and has familiarity with each other. Germano leads the team at the point, as he's a sharp shooter and has a great handle. Cocorikis and Salzer are a pair of wings that are both tough and strong to the basket. Davis has good speed and a good handle as a combo guard while Okoh rounds out the starting five inside and is athletic, fast, and is a good rebounder.

Outlook: Coming off a poor season last year, the Zebras are looking to improve and maybe surprise some people along the way. Levine says this team is in better shape and will be a much better team defensively. Wilson and Haney start in the frontcourt, with Jacobs, Whitten, and Morgan, a transfer from Texas, starting in the backcourt. The level of expectations are low for the Zebras, with the optimism of finishing around .500 and surprising people with their hard, scrappy play.

Outlook: Coming off a 20-win season, the Raiders will start completely fresh this season with a roster full of newcomers. How soon a roster full of players with mainly junior varsity experience can acclimate to the varsity level remains to be seen. The Raiders have several interior players in Castellanos, Gayle, and Pryor while Alfonso is a transfer from Rutgers Prep and adds some athleticism. Patel is expected to man the point and has a solid all-around game while Colon and Williams are also expected to be contributors.

Outlook: With a key group of players back from last year's 16-win team, the Bombers appear poised to make a run atop the White Division as they seek their first ever division title. Taite is a four-year starter at point guard, as he's grown and gotten a little bigger since last season. Seraji is a second scoring option in the backcourt. Pressley is the critical defensive stopper for the Bombers while Gay also is an athletic wing in the Bombers four-guard set. Floyd has stretched out a bit from last season and will be a key interior presence for the Bombers, something they've been missing the past few seasons.

Outlook: After a terrific first season under Gigliello, the Barrons were hit hard by graduation as they lost four starters. They will count on Shuler and Robinson to step in and make plays at guard on both ends of the floor. Gigliello says Hughes and Cordero both had terrific offseasons, as that pair will be relied on in the frontcourt. Gigliello believes the amount of success the Barrons will see will depend on how well their young players can pick up the system and their ability to defend. The Barrons still plan to compete at the top of the division and advance as deep as they can in the state and county tournaments.

Outlook: The Trojans will look to remain competitive in the Blue Division, and to do so will rely the most on two guys - McLeod and Weiler. McLeod has good size for a guard and can see the floor well and Weiler is a hard-worker on both ends of the court. Webster will be counted on in the frontcourt and Krolick is another starting guard with some length. Astarita rounds out the starting five, as the Trojans have a club capable of shooting the ball well on any given night, but lack some size down low and may have trouble on the boards.

Outlook: As the Ramblers look to defend their Blue Division title, defense will be the backbone of their team until they're able to get their offensive chemistry going. Robertson (13.3 ppg) and Gilder (8.7 ppg) are the two leading returning scorers and both will be expected to produce in the starting lineup. Spinelli and Robertson start down low while Bennett rounds out the five, as the Ramblers have decent size across the board as a team.

Outlook: The Owls are looking at another rebuilding season with the loss of some key scorers, as they try to fight their way out of the bottom of the Blue Division. Pointer will man the point and will be joined in the starting lineup by Landis and Powell in the backcourt, Leseur at forward, and Jacob-Perez at center.

Outlook: With the ability to get a number of young players game experience last season, the Mustangs look to improve this year. Alvarez (11 ppg) will be the go-to scorer while Reyes (5.1 ppg) and Weinstein (6.8 ppg) are a pair of big men they will rely on. Graham, a transfer from Bergen Catholic, must sit out the first 30 days of the season but should flow in the mix of things afterwards. Banos will look to go 8-10 players deep in his rotation, and notes that they've been sharing the ball well on offense and improved on defense, particularly in playing man-to-man. The Mustangs will vie to finish in the upper tier of the Blue Division standings.

Outlook: The Bulldogs struggled at times a year ago, but a positive is they didn't lose any key contributors. Flaherty Jr., whose father Artie is the all-time leading scorer at Metuchen with 2,053 points, is a playmaker in the backcourt and has the ability to be a solid scorer. Clarke is the lone big man on the roster while Eustace will try to lend some support on the glass. McGuire, Chalker, and Collier are all athletic guards and all should see big minutes as the Bulldogs hope to put enough good games together to possibly be in contention in a balanced Blue Division.

Outlook: Expectations appear to be better for the Blue Jays than they were a year ago as several key players now have a year of varsity experience under their belts. Jarrett Bogus will be counted on scoring-wise for the Blue Jays. Evans-Little, who will be a key defensively in the paint, and Wilson join him in the starting five as the Blue Jays will start three players at 6-3 or taller. Lester and Sarnoski round out the starting five in the backcourt as Tooles looks for the Blue Jays look to improve upon their record from last season, be competitive in every game, and work to their full potential.

Outlook: The Raiders sport a relatively young team and will look towards Lackey to be their scoring threat and leader on the floor after losing their leading scorer from last year, Turell McClendon. Franco and Pinghlia are two other senior starters in the frontcourt, as Towns is stressing that all the players on the court must be on the same page for them to be successful. Wider, a transfer in, and Austin make up the starting backcourt for the Raiders, who hope to have continued success in their second year in the Blue Division after moving up from the Gold.

Outlook: An assistant the past four seasons, Connell takes over for Justin Chiera and will look to run things relatively the same way as before, so the transition should be seamless. On the court the Tigers will look to be competitive in the Blue Division. They have some athleticism at spots, including Monroe, who figures to start after being the featured running back for the football team in the fall. Hankerson, Mathis, Cullen, and Cisson are all also projected to start as the Tigers hope to be improved from a year ago.

Outlook: Four of five starters have graduated but back is dynamic point guard Jake Dadika, whose father Rich starred collegiately at Rutgers in the late 1980s. Joining Jake (19 ppg), who enters the season 75 points away from 1,000 for his career, is his younger brother Eric, a sophomore who will start. Two other underclassmen also are slated to start - Hart, another sophomore, and Ciaccio, a 6-7 freshman at center. Fox rounds out the starting five as the Chargers will need their bench to step up and gain valuable experience as the season goes on.

Outlook: After losing seven seniors to graduation including 1,000 point scorer Dylan Hoski and third-team all-conference guard Deon Brown, the Destroyers are clearly in rebuilding mode. The Destroyers do have some pieces in place to be successful. Johnson (10 ppg) is a legit threat who can score in every way imaginable and is clearly the go-to guy. Petrozelli is a good player at point and a capable shooter from the outside. The Destroyers clearly lack depth with only eight players, as Buniak expects to probably only go six players deep early in the season and said they must avoid the injury bug. What they do have though is size, which should allow them to be competitive in the Gold Division.

Outlook: With only one returner and a lot of youth and inexperience, the Tigers are headed towards a rebuilding year geared towards learning. Alston is the one starter back and he'll be looked upon to lead in the frontcourt. Other players Staples expect to help are Marsh, Riles and Dowe, all expected to play important minutes. A few upperclassmen have also joined the program for the first time, including DiNoia, a top starting pitcher for the Tigers' baseball team.

Outlook: The Patriots will start four juniors and a senior on a fast and aggressive team, as four of the five starters have varsity experience. Little, who averaged 10.5 points and 11.3 rebounds last season, is a big and physical presence inside at center and should be tough for teams in the Gold Division to stop, as he'll be joined in the frontcourt by Rodriguez. Oxner, Garay, and Byers, who will man the point, round out the starting five.

Outlook: The Governors possess a veteran squad and appear poised to be in the running, and possibly the favorite, for the Gold Division title. Herdman, a capable long-range shooter, is a four-year starter at point guard and is joined in the frontcourt by Fruncillo to create a strong scoring duo. Two other veterans in Murphy and Nick Kales will start while Ford is the lone underclassmen projected to be in the starting five. With no clear cut, top-notch favorite in the Gold Division, the Governors expect to be in competition for the division title and put together a winning season.

Outlook: With only two players returning the Rams appear to be rebuilding, but there is a case for slight optimism for them in the Gold Division. The Rams boast a lot of height, with six players at least 6-3 as Harris says several players from the football team came out for the team this season. Darrar and Martinez are the two lone returnees, as both should see major minutes at guard on a team that is more big-man heavy. Devich, Nigro, and Harris are the other three expected starters, as Harris expects to go about eight players deep on a given night.

Outlook: Four of five starters return for the Tigers, but the team must fill the leadership void of the graduated Jeff Parker. The Tigers expect to be competitive every night after having a strong summer. Four of the five starters are seniors with Coyle and DiLeo in the backcourt amd Figueoa and Cruver up front. Harris, the only non-senior starter, is an inside presence at 6-5 while Waldron is another big body off the bench. With all but two players on the roster being seniors, Hobbs expects this team to do well but how many wins that translates into will depend on how well this group can learn to lead.

Outlook: The Rams will look to get things turned around this season under Maxwell, who won two state sectional titles and made two state finals appearances in 13 seasons as the head coach at Summit. Expectations are low, so there's nowhere to go but up as Maxwell figures to go with a starting lineup of Newman, Houston, Palko, Anastasiou, and Menns.

Outlook: No starters return, but after last year's disappointing campaign a fresh start is welcome. This is an unusually short roster, with just five players taller than 5-11. The Warriors will run and press like always, trying to take advantage of the speed edge they'll have most games. Kanu, Matos and McDaniel have impressed Plummer in the preseason. With the acute lack of experience, though, it could be an uphill climb in this division.

Outlook: The Tigers appear to be one of the top public school teams in the state, as they seek to get back to the Group IV final after falling to Atlantic City last season. Moore, the Cincinnati commit, is the biggest name of the bunch but the Tigers boast a lot of depth. They can go up to 10 players deep on any given night and are very experienced, as they have three three-year starters and two two-year starters. Surrounding Moore in the starting lineup are guards Carter, Dolbrice, and Jones along with Hamilton up front. Outside of a challenging Union County schedule, the Tigers will also compete in several high-level showcase games this season as well.

Outlook: It appears to be a rebuilding season for the Indians as they've lost a significant amount of seniors and return just one player from last season's 16-win campaign. Conroy projects to start Washington, Patterson, Tutt, and Abadia while he was still unsure about the fifth starter. The Indians will need their inexperience to grow quickly in a tough and competitive Union County Conference.

Outlook: The Argonauts were clearly the No. 1 team in Somerset County until standout junior Karl Charles (15.4 ppg) suffered a torn ACL in the fall. Charles, a Division I prospect who can play all five positions, is expected to be back on the court by June. "Karl is irreplaceable. He's the total package," Ortelli said. Without him this is still a good team, if not a championship one. Guards Holmes (11 ppg), Brooks (10.2 ppg) and Robinson (4 ppg) are returning starters. Depth could be an issue as three of the 10 varsity players are freshmen. There are also question marks in the frontcourt. This is Rutgers Prep's final year as an independent. The Argos join the Skyland Conference in the fall.

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Home News Tribune boys basketball teams at a glance

Coach: Chris Chiera, eighth season.

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